Day 8: YA Rules

Continuing a super duper month of giveaways here’s your next chance to win some cool Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy goodies. Remember rules of the game change daily, so be sure to check back often to see how to enter and whether or not you won!

Day 8: YA Rules

Continuing our journey into teenage angst, we have another YA focused contest. This one is super easy!

THE RULES

1. Post the name of your favorite YA Author below.

2. You get one entry for your comment.

3. As always, you can earn 1 extra entry each time you promote the contest via, twitter, Facebook, Myspace, your blog, etc.

4. Be sure to post the links below in the comments section so that we can verify them. If you are using Twitter, be sure to include @wickedjungle in your tweet.

5. The contest is open from now and will close at 12PM Eastern on Thursday May 20!

The PRIZE:

Each daily winner will have the option of choosing an autographed copy of the following books:

• C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp–Touch of Darkness
• L.A. Banks –The Forbidden (Selected by previous winner)
• Mary Janice Davidson–Undead and Unwed (Selected by previous winner)
• Mary Janice Davidson–Undead and Uneasy
• S.J Day–Eve of Darkness
• Devon Monk–Magic to the Bone (Selected by previous winner)
• Devon Monk–Magic in the Blood
• Kat Richardson–Greywalker

or an un-autorgraphed copy of one of the following books:

• Rachel Caine–Kiss of Death
• Jocelynn Drake–Nightwalker
• Angie Fox–The Dangerous Book of Demon Slayers
• Richelle Mead–Succubus Blues
• Linda Wisdom–Hex in High Heels

Each book is also paired up with a swag bag, which contains buttons, postcards, bookmarks, and posters (some signed, some not).  Each bag varies and winners will not have the option of pre-selecting the swag-bags.

Winners of the daily contest will automatically be entered into the grand prize drawings (winners to be announced May 31st).  This includes the RT 2010 Tote Bag, Strange Brew Anthology (signed by Jim Butcher), signed posters, books, swag and your choice of a $25 gift e-gift cart to borders.com, bn.com or amazon.com. (Second place winner will receive similar package with signed poster, tote bag, and $10 gift card).

Day 7: The Twilight Crack

Continuing a super duper month of giveaways here’s your next chance to win some cool Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy goodies. Remember rules of the game change daily, so be sure to check back often to see how to enter and whether or not you won!

Day 7 Rules: The Crack that is “Twilight”

I haven’t given much attention to YA this week, and I truly do love YA, so well kick off our little journeydom into teenage angst with an internet scavenger hunt Twilight style.

THE RULES

1. Scour the internet (bookmarks, google, blogroll, etc.) for your favorite Twilight goodies. These can be pictures, videos, fan made trailers, parodies, etc. To get you started I posted one of my favorites above. A comic about the experience of reading the Twilight Saga. Click on the picture to view the whole comic on the original site.

2. Post the link to your Twilight Bounty in the comments section below along with a brief description of what the Twilight goodie is and why you like it.

3. You can post as many links as you want (though each link should be in a separate post with its own description). I encourage you to get creative. Tap into your circle of twi-hards to locate the best gems.

4. Whoever posts the item that makes me laugh, cry, or pass out from sheer Twilight bliss (the most) wins.

5. The contest is open from now and will close at 12PM Eastern on Wednesday May 19!

The PRIZE:

Each daily winner will have the option of choosing an autographed copy of the following books:

• C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp–Touch of Darkness
• L.A. Banks –The Forbidden (Selected by previous winner)
• Mary Janice Davidson–Undead and Unwed (Selected by previous winner)
• Mary Janice Davidson–Undead and Uneasy
• S.J Day–Eve of Darkness
• Devon Monk–Magic to the Bone (Selected by previous winner)
• Devon Monk–Magic in the Blood
• Kat Richardson–Greywalker

or an un-autorgraphed copy of one of the following books:

• Rachel Caine–Kiss of Death
• Jocelynn Drake–Nightwalker
• Angie Fox–The Dangerous Book of Demon Slayers
• Richelle Mead–Succubus Blues
• Linda Wisdom–Hex in High Heels

Each book is also paired up with a swag bag, which contains buttons, postcards, bookmarks, and posters (some signed, some not).  Each bag varies and winners will not have the option of pre-selecting the swag-bags.

Winners of the daily contest will automatically be entered into the grand prize drawings (winners to be announced May 31st).  This includes the RT 2010 Tote Bag, Strange Brew Anthology (signed by Jim Butcher), signed posters, books, swag and your choice of a $25 gift e-gift cart to borders.com, bn.com or amazon.com. (Second place winner will receive similar package with signed poster, tote bag, and $10 gift card).

DAY 4!!! Super Duper Contests!!!

Day 4 Starts Now!!!

Here’s your fourth chance to win some cool Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy goodies. Remember rules of the game change daily, so be sure to check back often to see how to enter and whether or not you won!

Day 4 Rules: My Dirty Little Secrets

You may be a little confused by the name of this contest. My inspiration was the song, by All American Rejects, and one of my favorite shows, the Vampire Diaries.  Both Elena and Stefan keep journals filled with their own dirty little secrets, so it seemed appropriate. If you’ve been living under a rock, or generally just dismissed the Vampire Diaries as another teen angst drama, here is a basic video clip that covers the basic premise.  I do have to say the episodes got a lot better the second half of the season.

The rules are simple, I mean, it’s Saturday morning, you’re probably hung over from reading all night long! I don’t want to make this too complicated.

1. Post a comment below about the Vampire Diaries. What did you think of Season One? Were you happy with the finale? Do you like the books or the show better?

2. You get one entry for your commenting.

3. You get an additional entry every time you promote the contest and link back to this post.

5. The contest is open from now and will close at 12PM Eastern on SUNDAY May 16!

The PRIZE:

Each daily winner will have the option of choosing an autographed copy of the following books:

• C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp–Touch of Darkness
• L.A. Banks –The Forbidden
• Mary Janice Davidson–Undead and Unwed
• Mary Janice Davidson–Undead and Uneasy
• S.J Day–Eve of Darkness
• Devon Monk–Magic to the Bone
• Devon Monk–Magic in the Blood
• Kat Richardson–Greywalker

or an un-autorgraphed copy of one of the following books:

• Rachel Caine–Kiss of Death
• Jocelynn Drake–Nightwalker
• Angie Fox–The Dangerous Book of Demon Slayers
• Richelle Mead–Succubus Blues
• Linda Wisdom–Hex in High Heels

Each book is also paired up with a swag bag, which contains buttons, postcards, bookmarks, and posters (some signed, some not).  Each bag varies and winners will not have the option of pre-selecting the swag-bags.

Winners of the daily contest will automatically be entered into the grand prize drawings (winners to be announced May 31st).  This includes the RT 2010 Tote Bag, Strange Brew Anthology (signed by Jim Butcher), signed posters, books, swag and your choice of a $25 gift e-gift cart to borders.com, bn.com or amazon.com. (Second place winner will receive similar package with signed poster, tote bag, and $10 gift card).

Behind-the-Scenes with Megan Crewe

This week’s guest blogger is Megan Crewe, author of YA novel, Give Up the Ghost. Megan lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and two cats. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies and magazines such as Brutarian Quarterly and On Spec.  GIVE UP THE GHOST is her first novel.  You can learn more about Megan by visiting her website at www.megancrewe.com.

Guest Blogger: Megan Crewe

As an author, I think the question I get asked most is “Where did you get the idea for your book?” This is often difficult to answer, and not just because inspiration can be mysterious.  The truth is that one book idea comes not from one specific place, but from many different sources, all blended together into something new and exciting.

To give you an example, here are some of the pieces that came together to form what is now my first novel, GIVE UP THE GHOST:

Life

When I was in high school, I overheard some younger girls talking about how they were avoiding another girl they used to be friends with, whom they’d now decided was too weird.  They made fun of her and laughed about how no one wanted to hang out with her any more.  That stuck with me, and made me wonder what it’s like being on the receiving end of that sort of “friendship.”  And eventually it produced Cass, GHOST’s main character, who had her own friends turn on her in junior high.

Fiction

Because I write YA, I’m always reading YA fiction.  One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that most real-world protagonists who are saddled with a supernatural ability (like talking to ghosts) resist their talent and wish they were normal.  I started thinking it’d be interesting to write about a character who embraced her ability, and incorporated it into her everyday life.  In GHOST, I explored what might happen if someone relied too much on her supernatural talent, at the expense of the good parts of “normal” life.

Mythology

While writing GHOST, naturally I drew on my knowledge of standard ghost lore.  I played around with the idea that ghosts may be waiting for some sort of trigger to move on, and that they might be stuck in the time period when they died.  The existing mythology gave me something to build on, and also inspired some of the plot’s twists and turns.

Research

After I determined that my main character had been bullied and ostracized, I wanted to make sure I portrayed what had happened to her authentically.  The book that helped me the most was ODD GIRL OUT by Rachel Simmons.  It allowed me to create a believable backstory for Cass and to understand how her experiences would have shaped who she was.

Good Old Random Inspiration

Before the research and the writing, the book first came into being one night when I was drifting off to sleep.  The image of a teenage girl talking to her dead sister like it was an everyday thing popped into my head–out of nowhere, or some unknowable part of my unconscious.  That’s where the mystery of creativity comes in.  I may be able to see where the pieces of the idea came from, but there is a spark I can’t control, that made it all more than just the sum of those parts.

Contest: Win a signed copy of Give Up the Ghost!

Once again, a big thanks to Megan for joining us today on Wicked Jungle. We want to keep the conversation going so this contest is going to be all about comments! Given the gossip girl nature of the book, we want to know what your experience was (or is) like in high school. Did you loose a childhood friend as you entered teenage life? Did you ever participate in gossip? What was the craziest gossip rumor to hit your high school?

Each person who posts a comment (in response to the above questions) will get one entry in the contest.

You can get an additional entries by doing the following (note these are in addition to posting a comment. You must comment first to be qualified).

Option A: Tweet about the contest on Twitter (you must include @wickedjungle for your tweet to qualify each tweet will get you an additional entry).

Option B: Become a follower of our blog (only new followers joining between the time of the contest will be counted).

Contest Ends Saturday at 12PM Eastern!!!

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

This week we have a sneak peak of the new YA novel, The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting. The book is available now in stores and has had fantastic reviews. And of course, to encourage you to share the love, we are running a contest that includes some awesome Body Finder SWAG!!!! We’ve got a poster, signed bookmarks and an awesome tote bag to give away, so there will be more than one winner.

To enter the contest simply read the prologue and post a comment below. You get one entry for commenting, one entry for each time you tweet about the contest on Twitter. (Note: you must be a follower of Wicked Jungle and include @wickedjungle in your tweet for it to count!). The contest ends Saturday March 27th at 12PM Eastern!!!

For additional fun, you can click on the link to watch the book trailer for The Body Finder, and of course  the prologue is below. Enjoy!

A BIG THANKS TO KIMBERLY for joining in the Wicked Jungle Fun!

PROLOGUE

Violet wandered away from the safety of her father as she listened to the harmony of sounds weaving delicately around her. The rustling of the leaves mingled gently with the restless calls of birds and the far-off-rushing waters of the icy river that lay beyond the trees.

And then there was another sound. Something she couldn’t quite identify. Yet.

She was familiar enough with the meaning of this new, and misplaced, noise. Or at least with what it signified. She had been hearing sounds, or seeing colors, or smelling smells, like these for years. For as long as she could remember.

Echoes, she called them.

She looked back at her father to see if he had heard it too, even though she already knew the answer. He hadn’t, of course. Only she could hear it. Only she understood what the haunting sound foretold.

He walked casually behind her, at his same slow and steady pace, keeping a watchful eye on his eight-year-old daughter as she ran ahead of him.

The sound whistled past her again, carried on the breeze that sent crisp, golden leaves swirling around her ankles. She stopped briefly to listen, but once it passed she continued on ahead.

“Don’t go too far,” her father dutifully called from behind her. He wasn’t really worried about her out here. These were their woods.

Violet had practically been raised in this forest, learning about her surroundings, learning how to tell what direction she was facing by the lichen growing on the tall tree trunks, and knowing how to tell the time of day by the position of the sun…at least on those days when that sun wasn’t obscured by the gloom of cloud cover. This was easy territory, even for an eight-year-old girl.

She ignored her father’s warning and wandered off the path, still listening to that something that was beckoning her forward. Her feet felt propelled by a will of their own as she struggled to make the sound into something coherent, something she could identify. She stepped over fallen branches and walked through a sea of fern fronds that grew up from the damp ground.

“Violet!” She heard her dad’s voice breaking through her concentration.

She paused, and then called back, “I’m right here,” although not as loudly as she should have before she started walking again.

The sound was getting stronger. Not louder, but stronger. She could feel the vibrations practically resonating beneath her skin now.

This was how it was with these things. This was the way these feelings came to her. They were indescribable, yet to her they made perfect sense.

And when they called to her she felt compelled to answer.

She was close now, so close that she could hear a voice. That was what this echo was, a voice. Single and solitary, seeking someone—anyone—to answer it.

Violet was that someone.

She stopped at a mound of damp dirt covered with a thick layer of rotting leaves. The soil was oddly out of place amid the undergrowth, with nothing living springing up from it. Even Violet knew that the soil was too newly placed to have fostered life just yet.

She knelt down, feeling the pulsating echo coming from beneath. She could feel it reverberating within her veins, coursing hotly through her small body. Without waiting, Violet brushed away the leaves and debris with a sweep of her coat sleeve, before she began earnestly scooping at the soft earth beneath with her hands.

She heard her father’s light footsteps catch up with her and his gentle voice ask, “Find something, Vi?”

She was too lost in her task to answer, and he didn’t pry. He was used to this, his little girl searching out the lost souls of the forest. Without speaking, he leaned against the soaring trunk of a nearby cedar and waited without really watching.

Violet felt her fingertips brush against something hard and smooth, cold and unyielding. She shuddered against a disturbing awareness that she couldn’t quite name and kept digging.

She sank her fingers into the moist soil once again. And again, they touched something chillingly firm.

Something too soft to be a rock.

And it was back, that nagging something that was trying to get through to her.

She reached in again, this time not to dig, but to sweep away the thin layer of dirt to get a better view of what lie beneath. She had captured her father’s interest and he leaned over her, looking into the shallow hole.

Violet worked like an archeologist, carefully sifting and brushing across the top of her discovery, so as not to disturb what might be buried there.

She heard her father gasp at the same time she recognized what she had uncovered.  She felt his strong hands reaching for her from behind, pulling her firmly by the shoulders away from the fresh dirt and gathering her into his strong, safe arms…away from the sound that was calling to her…

And away from the girl’s face staring up at her from beneath the soil.